Stomach Acid

The stomach produces an acid called hydrochloric acid (HCl) that is responsible for breaking down many of the hard-to-digest proteins we consume such as wheat, dairy, corn, soy, certain nuts and meats.

While excess stomach acid is seemingly becoming an increasingly prevalent issue these days, sometimes it is necessary to boost the production of the stomach fire (acid).

Before you would ever do this protocol, it is important to rule out two possible scenarios that could undermine your success:

Possible Dehydration

The stomach is lined and buffered with a bicarbonate layer of cells that is 80% water and often becomes dehydrated. To remedy this, drink 8-12 oz of water 15-30 minutes before the meal. (Do not drink this water with the meal, as this will drown out the stomach acid.)

Possible Bile Flow Issues

Bile is a buffer for stomach acid. If the bile is not flowing adequately, then the stomach can either hold onto the acid, which is associated with occasional heartburn or eventually turn down the production of stomach acid. If the stomach acid has been turned down due to lack of bile, then this Digestive Agni Reset will not work. If you have any issues when you challenge your digestion with hard-to-digest fatty or greasy foods, then this may be a bile flow issue.

VERY IMPORTANT – START THIS PROTOCOL ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

Start the Digestive Agni Reset protocol only after you have completed the following steps for at least 2 weeks:

• Take Beet Cleanse: 1 capsule 15 minutes before food, 3 times a day, with 12 ounces of water.
• Take Liver Repair or another herbal formula that cleanses the liver and thins the bile: 1-2 capsules, 2 times a day after food.
• Eat one raw beet per day and follow the guidelines in this article, “Gallbladder Health: Food & Recipes.”
• Drink 8-12 oz of water 15-30 minutes before each meal for 2 weeks.
• Hydrate between meals.
• Eat 3 meals per day without snacking. Learn why in my article, “The Dangers of Frequent Eating.”

Digestive Agni Reset Protocol

Summary: You are going to take increasing amounts of Warm Digest capsules before each meal until you feel a warmth around your belly. Then, you will slowly decrease each dose by one capsule while maintaining the sensation of warmth.

Warm Digest is the classical Ayurvedic formula known as Trikatu. Trikatu contains the herbs pippali, ginger, and black pepper. These herbs work in synergy to stimulate the digestive fire, allowing for more efficient digestion in the stomach while promoting proper bile flow, healthy detoxification and fat metabolism. The gentle heating action of this blend primes the digestive tract to digest food, absorb nutrients and efficiently remove wastes. (1-7)

Here is a detailed description of the protocol:

Take Increasing Capsules of Warm Digest Until You Feel Warmth:

1. Take 1 Warm Digest capsule before breakfast.
2. Take 2 Warm Digest capsules before lunch.
3. Take 3 capsules of Warm Digest before supper.
4. Take 4 capsules of Warm Digest the next day before breakfast.
5. Continue until you find your Maximum Dose (details below). Do not take more than 7.

Find Your Maximum Dose: Keep adding 1 capsule before each meal until you begin to feel some warmth around your belly either before, during, or after the meal. This is your Maximum Dose. You may feel warmth after 2 capsules or after 7. Do not take more than 7 capsules.

If you experience any burning or loose stools at any time and no warmth around your belly, consider this the limit and stop increasing the Warm Digest.

Start Decreasing While Maintaining the Warmth: Once you feel the warmth in or around your belly, begin to decrease your dose by 1 capsule at the next meal. Continue taking this dose of Warm Digest capsules until you feel the heat again. This may take 1 or 2 meals or even a few days.

Once you feel warmth again, decrease by 1 capsule at the next meal and continue this dose until you feel warmth again. Continue this protocol until you have weaned down to 1 capsule and then to no capsules at all. You may need to stay at 1 capsule for a few weeks.

Example Patient: Tara began to feel warmth on the 2nd day after breakfast while taking 4 capsules of Warm Digest. This is her maximum dose. At her next meal, lunch, she decreased to 3 capsules and took this dose until she felt warmth again the next day (also at lunch). She then decreased to 2 capsules before each meal until she felt warmth again the following day at breakfast. At breakfast, she decreased to 1 capsule and continued that dose for 3 days until she felt warmth.

How It Works

This protocol is designed to reset your digestive furnace, which is often too weak due to stress or other digestive imbalances. The warmth felt around your belly is a sign that the Warm Digest is helping your stomach increase production of hydrochloric acid (HCl).

Slowly decreasing the dose of Warm Digest based on when you feel warmth, ensures that your stomach continues to produce HCl and your digestive fire stays abundant even when you wean down to 1 capsule before meals and finally completely stop taking Warm Digest.

This protocol is helpful only when we have already identified and treated the reason why your body has turned down the digestive furnace. If we were to turn the furnace back on before addressing your digestive imbalance, then the HCl acid production could irritate the stomach and intestinal wall, causing discomfort, reactive mucus production, and malabsorption.

Please see my free video-newsletter, “Remove Toxins From Your Fat Cells” for more details on this process.

If, after completing this protocol, your ability to digest is not improved, please review my video newsletters on digestion and detox or schedule a consult with me via phone, Skype or in-person.

References

1. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0378874192900672
2. http://www.akademiai.com/doi/abs/10.1007/s10967-007-1130-0?journalCode=10967
3. http://search.proquest.com/openview/8b47aaabea4de149c3e93f5cad76fcbe/1?pq-origsite=gscholar
4. http://www.researchgate.net/publication/235992377_STANDARDIZATION_OF_AN_AYURVEDIC_FORMULATION_-_TRIKATU_CHURNA_USING_BIOANALYTICAL_TOOLS
5. https://inis.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN:43003747
6. http://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:ajrc&volume=4&issue=2&article=003
7. http://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:rjpt&volume=4&issue=12&article=018